The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-11-04
ONE WAS SAVED.

A Survivor of The Wrecked Steamer
Vernon Rescued from Raft, After
Spending Sixty Hours fs the Water
His Version of the Catastrophe Fifty
Persons wSre Aboard the Doomed YES
sell
STURGEON BAY, Wis, Nov. 2-Up to the
arrival of the schooner Pomeroy from Ch1-
cago, which passed through the bay yester-
day. it was supposed that not single sur
yivor was left of the forty or fifty people
who were on the propeller Vernon when
she went down off Sheboygan early last
Saturday morning. 1t is now known, how
ever. that at least one man lives to tell the
tale of that terrible night on Lake Miehi-
gan The Pomeroy has on board the
only survivor, so far as now known,
of that aw full disaster, The name OF
the man who has thus been rescued
from death after he had given up
all hope of ever again setting his foot upon
dry land is Alfred Stone. He is from Col
cago and is one of the Vernon's crew. He
had been in tie water sixty hours, exposed
to bitter, piercing wind, and without bite
to eat, when the PomerOy discovered him
on, raft Monday night ab0ot eight miles
from Sheboygan 1t was clear, moonlight
night Stone was so cold as to be almost
helpless and so weak from hunger that he
could scarcely move. Although still very
Weak from the effects of his awful expert
ence Stone was able to make brief state
mem of the Dever-to- be- forgotten night.
Said he.
IT was awakened in the middle of the night
by the cries of the passengers and crew that the
vessel was sinking. sprung out o. the window
and found myself on a life raft with SIX
other persons: / can not say now who my
companions we're. Part of them were mem'
bers of the crew and part were passen
gers. 1t seemed only moment before the yes
sci had gone down. and believe that all but
few of those on board went down with her. On
the steamer there were twenty five passengers
and twenty-five of crew, all told Two pas
sengers were taken on at sheboygan, the bal
ance at Point St Ignace. There were among
the passengers six ladies. No children were
on board. They were mostly bound for chicago
1--WE passed through an awful night. ] think
never saw such q sea as that which tossed our
little raft at its mercy. When daylight
came VIC hoiSted signal of distress,
using o coat tied to an oar. Two YES
sells passed so nGar us on Saturday that
they must have seen our signal; yet for some
reason they apparently made no effort to reach
as. Tie storm still ragged, and 1t may be that
bheV naQ all J0ey cOulu 90 10 Save theInStlFoSs
"One after another of my companions per-
ished in the cold or was washed off the raft
when he became too numb with the cold to
hold on any longer. We never saw any others
from the sunl1en steamer, and don't believe
that any others survived. The vessel went
down so suddenly that the crew hadn't time
to man the boats
Saturday, he says, was bitterly cold, and
the Only way he could keep from freezing
was by moving about AS it was, his feet
were quite badly frozen. He had on life
preserver, cork underwear, breeches, Mack
NAV shirt, blouse, coat and shoes This
warm clothing, together with his strong
| physique, doubtless saved his life.
He talked with the crew on the raft before
they died, and they all seemed to attribute
the wreck to the overlooking of the vessel
and the non-closi8g of the gangways, to-
gether with the putting out of one of the
fires Friday night The second fire went out
about an hour after the frs: The boat did
not carry any canvas, and when the tires
| were out ran before the wind.